The Republic of Slovakia will roll out a new nationwide university program to train healthcare, social, and welfare staff to identify gambling harms and disorders.
The Regulatory Office for Gambling (URHH) has launched its “sixth cooperation agreement” with the Faculty of Education at Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, joining academic partners in Bratislava, Trnava, Nitra and Košice.
The programme will equip future professionals to recognise gambling risks and direct people towards specualised support. Particular attention will be paid to children’s exposure to gambling elements in digital games and emerging online formats.
Students will attend lectures, workshops, and discussions on gambling regulation, addiction prevention, and responsible gambling. The partnerships will also support academic research, thesis consultations and practical teaching materials for schools.
“The pitfalls of the digital space and the associated risks of losing self-regulation have become an integral part of the life of contemporary society,” said URHH Director General Libuša Baranová.
“They affect not only the young generation, but each of us.”
Baranová said the network would prepare educators, psychologists and social workers to act as prevention ambassadors in schools, families and local communities.
URHH in full control of gambling risks
The initiative builds on an agreement announced in March with the University of Trnava, which provides access to national gambling data to support research and educational resources.
It also follows URHH’s assumption of primary responsibility for consumer protection in the gambling sector in January 2026.
The expansion comes as online casinos take a larger share of Slovakia’s gambling market. Players lost €568.6m through online casinos in 2025, compared with €469.3m across physical casinos and gambling halls combined.
The figures underline the need to extend prevention beyond gambling premises and reach people through schools and community services.
Lenka Rovňanová, Dean of Matej Bel University’s Faculty of Education, said future professionals must be able to identify risks, discuss gambling sensitively and help people access specialist support.
“Children and adolescents warrant particular attention, as they may encounter gambling elements online before understanding their nature or consequences.”
“The faculty’s approach places critical thinking, self-regulation and responsible decision-making at the centre of prevention, alongside the confidence to ask for help.”
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